30 Days Together

Chapter 7

Kyle was driving like a mad man and Akina was thankful she had worn the seat-belt. He had one hand on the steering wheel as he casually leaned back in his seat with the window rolled down.

“Can you please slow down?” she shouted over the heavy music that was playing. Why had she agreed to go with him? Sure her dad wouldn’t scold or her ground her for life for going home late, but she didn’t want to taste her luck with him.

“What did you say?” Kyle asked reducing the voice. “I didn’t quite catch anything.” He had an adorable smile on his face as he looked at her.

Akina adjusted her seat-belt and moved her bag from her lap to her feet. “You’re driving too fast; can you please slow down?” she asked quietly as she looked outside the car at the other passing cars. She wasn’t sure how he would take it.

“All right,” Kyle responded as he reduced the speed. “You know,” he began and she could feel him glancing at her, “you don’t need to be afraid to say what’s on your mind when you’re around me. Feel free to express yourself, you only get one chance at life.”

Akina was silent as she absorbed the meaning of his words. She continued to stare outside the window and clenching and unclenching her hand. “Where are we going?” she finally asked and turned to look at Kyle.

“Do you trust me?” he asked instead.

“I guess I do if I’m in the same car as you,” she replied.

“Do enough for me, for now anyway,” Kyle responded. “Then trust me on this.”

That was that. They fell into a comfortable silence and Akina went back to staring and counting the number of cars, streets and stores that they passed. Her eyes began to feel heavy and soon she was fast asleep.

“We’re here,” she heard someone call out to her.

She opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings trying to figure out where she was. The place looked unfamiliar but also familiar to her. “Where are we?” she asked as she turned to Kyle.

Kyle was sat there with his lazy boyish smile looking relaxed and at ease. “You don’t know this place?” he asked arching his eyebrows quizzically. “Really? Don’t play with me.”

“No I don’t,” Akina shook her head vigorously. “I don’t really go out expect for school and the….” She stopped talking as she realised she almost told him something that only her parents, nurse Harrison and her doctor knew.

A look of shock and surprise flashed on Kyle’s handsome face and it was gone as soon as it had come and Akina wondered if she had just imagined it.

“What! Why not?” he asked. “Then we are going to change that today.” He got out of the car and walked to her side and opened her door for her. “C’mon.” He offered her his hand she reluctantly took it.

Kyle’s hands were warm and big and Akina’s hand looked small in it but felt so right. Was this what it felt like to hold hands with someone? she asked herself. They began walking to what Akina now figured was the mall.

“My bag,” she said, “it’s where all my money is.”

She figured that was the reason Kyle brought her to the mall in the first place.

“Just leave it,” he replied still holding her hand in his and she didn’t want to say anything because she was afraid she might say something that would offend him. Besides, it felt nice to have her hand in someone’s else. “It’s my treat. All of it.”

“But,” she tried protesting.

Kyle abruptly stopped walking and she almost bumped into him. “I brought you here to show you a good time and therefore it is me who should pay,” he pronounced his words slowly and deliberately. “And I don’t want to hear it again. I’m paying, end of discussion.” He resumed walking and Akina had no choice but to follow considering he still held her hand.

“Okay.”

She followed Kyle into the mall where he made a turn for the ice-cream parlour. “Ice-cream really?” she asked, “this is your great idea of something fun?” Akina was amused at his choice but she did love ice-cream. “I’m not complaining or anything but I figured we would be doing something insanely ridiculous, like ran around the mall screaming something just as ridiculous.”

She was finally getting used to the fact of talking to Kyle and her inner side that loved adventure was slowly slipping under the cracks she had spent so much time moulding.

Kyle let go of her hand as he turned to look at her. “Well, well, well, looks like someone has a wild side,” he said with his signature smile. “Don’t worry, we have 30 days to explore more of your wild tamed side.” He threw her a wink and then turned to the ice-cream guy. “Besides, he’s ice-cream is really good.”

The ice-cream guy looked between them questioningly as Kyle smiled at Akina. She shrugged and the guy flashed her a charming smile.

“I’ll have a plain vanilla and she’ll have chocolate with mint and a caramel sauce,” Kyle said. “Don’t hold back on the caramel.”

Akina shot him a look. One that emphasized how much she didn’t appreciate his choice for her.

“Anything else?” the ice-cream guy asked as he scooped up their ice-cream.

Kyle looked at her and she had a look of disgust on her face. Who mixed chocolate, mint and caramel together? That was just crazy. “What?” he shrugged as she continued staring at him, “you’ll like it I promise.”

“I highly doubt it.” Akina folded her hands on her chest.

The ice-cream guy handed over their ice-creams and Kyle paid.

“Don’t diss it till you try it missy.” Kyle took a spoonful of his vanilla ice-cream as they walked.

Sighing heavily, Akina gingerly took a spoon. She was quiet as the ice-cream melted on her tongue.

“Well? What do you think?” Kyle asked.

“Oddly, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” she admitted.

A laugh came from Kyle. “I told you so,” he said still laughing and nearly chocked on his ice-cream which made Akina burst into laughter. Kyle spattered and coughed while she continued laughing. “Thanks for being such a caring friend.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kyle rolled his eyes but still ate his ice-cream. He stretched his hand out to Akina. “Give me your phone.”

She abruptly stopped laughing. She didn’t know how to tell him that she didn’t have one. It was embarrassing considering everyone her age had one. “I don’t have one,” she admitted sheepishly. She took another spoonful of ice-cream and shoved it in her mouth to buy her some more time to come up with an explanation.

“No way!” Kyle exclaimed, “you can’t be serious.”

But when she didn’t say anything, the look that was on Kyle’s face was enough to make Akina want to hid for the rest of the school year. She was more than embarrassed. But Kyle surprised her by grabbing her ice-cream and throwing it in the trash as he took her hand in his.

“We are going to change that,” he said as he led to a phone store. “We are getting you a phone; you know, that thing that people use to communicate with.”

Akina rolled her eyes. Of course she knew what a phone was and what it was used for. She just didn’t have one because her mum took it from her. “I don’t really need one.”

“Of course you need one. How else am I supposed to contact you at 2am?” Kyle asked as they entered the store.

“Why would you want to talk to me at 2am?”

Kyle let go of hand and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. He looked her right in the eyes. “So I could tell you all my secrets and get to know you, duh.” He said and walked around the store.

Akina stood there dumbfounded. Kyle’s honesty surprised her. She had never met a person who wasn’t afraid to say what was on their mind even though it sounded a little conceited.

“Are you coming or are you just going to stand there like a statue?” Kyle yelled out to her.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she followed his voice and found him standing with a red-haired girl. The girl was gawking at Kyle while trying to shamelessly flirt with him. She couldn’t blame her though, Kyle was a hot guy and it took her a few days to stop denying that fact.

“What now?” she asked.

“I’m thinking this one could do,” Kyle said pointing to an iPhone, “but then I’m thinking it’s kinda just not you, you know.” He turned to look at Akina. “What do you think? iPhone or Android?”

“I don’t really care what we get.” Akina didn’t care as long as she was able to contact people, that’s all that mattered to her.

The redhead glared at Akina as Kyle slung his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to him. “We’ll get that,” Kyle said to the redhead.

The redhead got the phone Kyle had pointed to and ushered them to the cash register. “Would you like any accessories to go with it?” she asked batting her eyelashes at Kyle.

Kyle winked at her and Akina almost swore that the girl turned into a puddle right there and then.

“Nah I think that’s all for now.” He took out his credit card from his wallet and paid for Akina’s new phone.

The redhead scanned his card and bagged the phone. She quickly wrote her number on the back of the receipt as she handed it Kyle. “Call me,” she said and Kyle took the bag and receipt from her with his lazy smile.

Akina rolled her eyes. The girl just outright flirted with Kyle in front of her as though she didn’t exist. At least they weren’t dating, otherwise Akina would have been jealous. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she shook her head.

“You know,” Kyle began as they left the store. “I think you need a make-over, like a complete new you.” He pulled the rubber band from her hair and let it flow to her shoulders.

Her hair flowed down her back. “So you basically want to change the way I look, is that it? Don’t I look okay the way I am?” she huffed and glared at Kyle.

“That’s not what I meant. But now that I actually think about it, I think yeah.”

That earned him a smack on the arm and he burst into hysteria. “I was only joking,” he said in between laughs. “You are amazing, awesome and beautiful the way you are. But I just think we could do something to bring out that spark in you, that’s all, I swear.” He raised his hands up in surrender.

“Uh-huh!”

“C’mon, you know I was only kidding.”

Akina rolled her eyes, “let’s just get this day over with. I’d like to be home before my dad does.”

Kyle sobered up. “What about your mum?” he asked.

“She’s around.” Was the response that Akina gave. She had no intention of telling him anything yet anyway. She still had her doubts on what exactly they were doing.

“What happened with your mum when I left?” he asked instead.

Akina stopped walking long enough for Kyle to notice. “Nothing happened, let’s just leave it at that okay?” she replied hugging herself. Her mum was a hard topic for her to talk about without feeling like she just wasn’t good enough for anyone.

“We won’t talk about her if you don’t want okay.” Kyle lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. His brown eyes held a form of understanding and Akina was glad he decided to drop the topic. She wasn’t yet ready to open up to anyone just yet and she doubted she ever would be.

“Thank you,” she said still mesmerised by how brown his eyes were. They were so brown it looked almost unnatural.

Kyle smiled his signature smile showing his left dimple. “Let’s get you a make-over then,” he beamed and slung his hand on her shoulder as he led them to a salon. “Julio is definitely going to love you.”

“Who’s Julio?” she asked as she let him guide her to wherever it was they were going.

“You’ll see.”

Akina huffed, she didn’t understand why Kyle loved surprises so much. Surprises weren’t something that she liked, in fact, she despised them. She saw no point in keeping things secret that you were eventually going to show someone, like hello! just tell me already.

“For your sake I hope he’s not an Italian ex-mafia or something because that will totally be cliché and I don’t expect that from you,” she said just as Kyle opened the door for the salon.

“Ladies first.” He bowed mockingly and Akina entered first.

The first thing she noticed were the designs and colour scheme. The place had purple walls with lavender chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It had sinks on one side, dries and mirrors on the other and a side reserved for manicures and pedicures. There was a lavender curtain separating the front room from the back.

“WOW!” Akina breathed.

“I know right, real cool,” Kyle responded as he watched her reaction. “Hey Cindy is Julio in?” he yelled to the girl at the front desk who was on a phone call.

“Yeah, just head up back and you’ll find him.” The Girl-Cindy yelled back.

“Thanks! And nice highlights, really brings out that natural glow.” Kyle yelled back and Cindy flashed him a smile then rolled her eyes before going back to her call.

Kyle led Akina to the back of the room. The back was the same as the front. It had all purples and lavender.

“Are you sure this guy isn’t an Italian ex-mafia? Because this place has way too much purple,” she said jokingly. “How do you even know this place?”

Kyle made a sign of locking his mouth and throwing away the key.

“It’s going to be like that huh?”

He shrugged just as a man in his late twenties walked up to them. He had long blond hair with red highlights tied up in a bun behind his head.

“Kyle!” the man said in a thick Italian accent and then pulled him in for a hug. “I haven’t seen you in a long time, where have been hiding? I hope you weren’t hiding from me?” he said as he pulled away from the hug.

Kyle chuckled, “I would never hide from you Julio. I was busy hiding from all the girls because you always make me look too hot.” He winked and Julio laughed.

“What brings you in today?” Julio asked. Akina felt visible as she watched them interact.

“Actually,” Kyle began as he placed his hand on Akina’s shoulder, “I want you to take care of her.” He gestured toward her with a look of disgust on his face. “I need her hair looking new and less like a bird’s nest.

Julio finally noticed Akina standing there awkwardly. “Who is this beauty? You didn’t tell me you final got yourself a girlfriend.” He eyed Akina and touched her hair in his hands. “You’ve got really soft hair,” he commented.

Kyle laughed at Julio’s comment. “Nah, she’s not my girlfriend…. Yet. Just get her looking hot and sexy.”

Akina huffed, they were talking about her as if she wasn’t there.

“Of course. You’ll not recognise her when I’m finished with her.” Julio took Akina’s hand and led her back to the front room.

He sat her chair and grabbed scissors. He began trimming her hair. She felt every clip the scissor had.

“You know,” Julio began, “I’ve never seen Kyle that happy, you must really be someone special for him to bring you here.”

Akina was silent. What did that mean? Why had Kyle brought her here? “I don’t think I’m special.” She admitted to herself. Surely what Kyle had said was only a joke. “I bet he brings many girls here.”

“You’re actually the first one.” Julio finished trimming her hair and washed it. “I was thinking I could give you some highlights, what do you think?” he held her hair in his hand looking at her through the mirror waiting for her answer.

“I don’t know, I’ve never really done anything with my hair,” Akina admitted sheepishly. “Just do whatever you want.”

That was all the permission that Julio needed. He spun the chair and Akina could no longer see herself or what he was doing to her hair. Julio spent over an hour, trimming, cutting, spraying, foiling, that Akina couldn’t keep up.

“I’m done.” He spun her back to the mirror. “What do you think?”

Akina stared at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t believe that the girl staring back at her was actually her. She looked nothing like her, her brunette hair was shorter and had blue and green highlights that accentuated her eyes. “I… wow.”

“I didn’t want to overdo it, so I basically just trimmed it and thought the blue-green highlight would make your eyes pop,” Julio explained.

Just then, Kyle emerged from the back room. He stopped mid step a he stared at Akina. He stood there for what felt like hours but was only minutes just staring at her.

“What do you think?” Julio asked breaking whatever spell had fallen on the both of them.

“She looks amazing Julio, I owe you for this,” Kyle replied still staring at her.

Julio rolled his eyes. “It’s on the house.”

“All right thanks anyway,” Akina stood up and Julio have her a hug. “I think we should be heading out.”

“Yeah of course,” Kyle said and gave Julio a hug. He whispered something and Kyle nodded his head. “Of course I will.”